Development of Commercial-scale Fission Mo-99 Production System

These days, worldwide ⁹⁹ Mo supply is not only insufficient but also unstable. Because, most of the main ⁹⁹Mo production reactors are more than years old and suffered from frequent and unscheduled shutdown. Therefore, movement to replace old reactors to keep stable supply is now active. Under these conditions, KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) is developing LEU-based fission ⁹⁹Mo production process which is connected to the new research reactor (Kijang New Research Reactor, KJRR), which is being constructed in Gijang, Busan, Korea. Historically, the most fission ⁹⁹Mo producers have been used highly enriched uranium (HEU) targets so far. However, to reduce the use of HEU in private sector for non-proliferation, ⁹⁹Mo producers are forced to convert their HEU-based process to use low enriched uranium (LEU) targets. Economic impact of a target conversion from HEU to LEU is significant. In this study, fission ⁹⁹Mo process with non-irradiated LEU targets was presented except separation and purification steps. Pre- and post-irradiation tests of the fission ⁹⁹Mo target will be done in 4th quarter of 2016. For the fission Mo production process development, hot experiments with irradiated LEU targets will be done in 4th quarter of 2016. Then, verification of the production process with quality control will be followed until the commercial production of fission ⁹⁹Mo scheduled in 2019